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Wynn Looks Lean and Mean, Thanks to Strahan

Veteran defensive end Renaldo Wynn looked better ever at this minicamp. He has trimmed down considerably from his first stint here and looks cut and taut. He wasn't overweight before, but over the past year he has changed his approach to training.

Wynn, 34, was released by the Redskins before the 2007 season, and played that season with New Orleans before going to the New York Giants in 2008. The Giants have what most believe is the best defensive line in football, and Wynn said the changes he made with his technique and training have extended his career.

He hopes to share some of the tricks he learned with the Giants with his Redskins teammates, and is in line to battle Phillip Daniels for the starting spot at left end. Wynn said that Michael Strahan had the biggest impact on him, urging him to focus on quickness and to reduce to 270 pounds or so.

"I was 285-290 my whole career, and especially the last five years," Wynn said, "and Strahan said for me to get down. That's one thing I really concentrated on, and started doing last year, and it felt great. I wish I would have known this earlier, but everybody thinks bigger is better, and then you see a guy like [Giants end] Osi [Umenyiora] and he's 245, and you see how he's pushing guys around ... that are 300-plus like [Dallas tackle] Flozell [Adams] and [Redskins tackle] Chris Samuels, and Strahan, I didn't know he was 250.

"These guys, they work hard in the weight room and do a lot of explosive stuff, and on the field they run all day. And for me, man, it's definitely extended my career as far as age-wise, and not getting injuries. Strahan was like, 'When you get older, past 10 years in the league, man, you've got to work on that weight.' And it's helped me quite a bit."

ST roster spots need to be for guys who are developing. Thrash's days of being a productive receiver were over years ago. He provides no depth there - might as well give a rook some playing time. Maybe they can get open. Thrash can't anymore.

I think the time to move on is when someone steps on the field and plays better than he does. Every year we expect it, and every year it doesn't happen. Maybe this year. But someone has to beat him -- not win just because he's younger.

"Time to move on from Thrash. ST roster spots need to be for guys who are developing. Thrash's days of being a productive receiver were over years ago. He provides no depth there - might as well give a rook some playing time. Maybe they can get open. Thrash can't anymore.Posted by: edva"\

Then make sure somebody tells Thrash, because he has a way of showing up at camp and winning the job outright. Like last season.

It's a dilemma: you want to tell your players that camp's an open competition, but guys like Thrash keep winning jobs. No upside, but they're really skilled football players.

Thrash is the Skins' version of Darius Songaila. The fans want him out of there in favor of some kid they've adopted. But he keeps showing them up.

I'm a little concerned w/ JLC's description of Renaldo.."CUT & TAUT"??? So if we are gonna add renaldo and Carter to the cheerleading calendar that would be great. Bottom line he was terribly avg when he was in his prime. If he stays healthy he should add some depth.

""I was 285-290 my whole career, and especially the last five years," Wynn said, "and Strahan said for me to get down. That's one thing I really concentrated on, and started doing last year, and it felt great. I wish I would have known this earlier, but everybody thinks bigger is better, and then you see a guy like [Giants end] Osi [Umenyiora] and he's 245, and you see how he's pushing guys around ... that are 300-plus like [Dallas tackle] Flozell [Adams] and [Redskins tackle] Chris Samuels, and Strahan, I didn't know he was 250."

Interesting in light of all the pre-and post-draft talk about how so-and-so wasn't big enough to play end. Goes to show you how out of the touch fans can get with NFL reality. Partly that's because the NFL is such a hype factory. Fans want to think of linemen as giants. Like in wrestling, when the Hulkomania phenomenon first emerged, the Hulkster was billed as 7 feet tall. He's maybe six-six.

Pass-rushing from the outside is about being faster (or quicker) than the blocker. And strong enough to fight off the block.

Ill informed people would say he is too light to play DE. There maybe 5 complete DE's that play the run & pass equally effective. Fact is you can run @ Usi all day long, problem is you have to deal w/ his speed on passing downs. You show me a pro bowl corner and I'll show you a D line that can get to the QB. Orakpo will play OLB on run downs and play DE on pass plays. This is a smart plan because it allows him to be on the field. He will get better @ stuffing the run when he gets reps, just like anyother young player.

Ill informed people would say he is too light to play DE. There maybe 5 complete DE's that play the run & pass equally effective. Fact is you can run @ Usi all day long, problem is you have to deal w/ his speed on passing downs. You show me a pro bowl corner and I'll show you a D line that can get to the QB. Orakpo will play OLB on run downs and play DE on pass plays. This is a smart plan because it allows him to be on the field. He will get better @ stuffing the run when he gets reps, just like anyother young player.

Fred Davis was an excellent practice player last season -- he's one of the best athletes on the team -- and he's continued that into this minicamp. Yesterday the only thing was stopping him from taking every pass he caught all the way downfield were his too-loose shorts falling down and tripping him up. Which, at least, shouldn't be a problem on gamedays.

"He has trimmed down considerably from his first stint here and looks cut and taut."

Still cant wrap my arms around JLC's description of Renaldo. I hoping with the next update he will tell us that Renaldo likes rainy days, 50 first dates is his fav movie, and he waits till after practice to dab on a lil sex panther cologne.

Love Lo, he is another guy that JLC would probably say looks "cut & taut"...just dont draw up any plays where he has to shadow westbrook again or where he is tackle eligble for any reason other than to block on any goaline packages.

Thrash is a "True Redskin". Ok he's not but he shouldn't have made the roster the last 3 yrs but he is like a cockroach that plays sp teams and knows how to run a route. I'm actually rooting for him to get cut this yr and some of the young guys to actually beat him out and then we'll know we have made progress. To be the man you have to beat the man and none of these knuckleheads we bring in via the draft or free agency can beat him.

2nd QUESTION: If there is some roster turnover, list the players who won't be redskins come Gameday in the Meadowlands next fall?

Posted by: MistaMoe | May 3, 2009 6:35 PM

And we should base the list on what, Moe? It's not like we've seen any of the new guys in pads lining up against other third stringers. Wait, there is one just-signed guy who won't be on the team: Marcus Mason.

I don't think Mike Williams ate his way out of the league. Between injuries and lack of performance and work ethic he was released by the Bills. The weight gain is typical of NFL linemen when they are no longer playing.

The issue now isn't that he was a former #4 pick but if he's overcome the injury and work ethic issues. If not, then he's not going to be much help to the Skins.

As for Thrash I agree that somehow he keeps beating out the "other guy" whomever that is. Eventually that will end. The issue here is will it end due to the "other guy" being much much better than Thrash or simply because age caught up with him? The former is good news for the Skins. The latter is not.

Maybe Wynn could have Strahan sit down with Mike Williams and give him some pointers. At over four hundred pounds, Mike Williams is more of a landmark than a right tackle.

I hear the Redskins are thinking about selling advertising space on William's jersey: "Now starting at right tackle and sponsored by Goodyear - it's Mike Williams!"

Note to Jim Zorn: Don't place all of your hopes on a guy that has to lose the equivalent weight of an eighth grader just to get down to a weight where he can practice. You'd be better off betting that Malcolm Kelly can run a 4.4 forty. Oh wait a minute, you are betting on that, too, aren't you?